


It's Not Too Late

by Purplepulu



Series: Protect our precious Eggplant [7]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Declarations Of Love, Eventual Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Hurt Vinsmoke Sanji, Just Another Sanji Hurt Fic, Kidnapping, Lots of dialogue, M/M, Roronoa Zoro Being an Idiot, Roronoa Zoro is Bad At Feelings, Slow Burn, These two are such idiots for emotions, Vinsmoke Sanji-centric, i wrote this during quarantine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23663626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purplepulu/pseuds/Purplepulu
Summary: Everyone else could see how close the Cook and the Swordsman are to one another. Well, everyone except the subjects themselves. Sanji had always thought Zoro hated him and was fine with leaving it as it is....except...he found he has feelings for the man.He was willing to hide it to his grave but then a kidnapping incident changed everything he thought he'd known about the Swordman.ORBasically, Sanji gets kidnapped and found that Zoro has some complicated feelings for him that he doesn't know what to make of.
Relationships: Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Series: Protect our precious Eggplant [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1415866
Comments: 21
Kudos: 367





	1. Chapter 1

  
Darkness.

That was all he could feel.

That was all his world consisted of.

Everything in his body throbbed and aches badly as though he had just got barreled down by one of his captain's Gomu-Gomu no rocket. That and multiply it by twofold and he was all but content to stay in his little dark world to escape the pain.

But he knew he shouldn't. He couldn't remember why but he had this nagging feeling in him, telling him to wake up already.

And so, he willed himself to.

Darkness still covered his vision even after he knew he had opened his eyes. For a moment, he thought he was in a dark room, but then he could feel the soft fabric of cloth on his face and the tight strap around his head.

Great. He was blindfolded.

He tried to move his hands to get rid of the blindfold but felt resistance instead. Metal chains rattled as he moved and he felt the cold shackles around his wrist.

_Fan-fucking-tastic....._

He thought to himself.

_Way to get yourself captured moron..._

He thought back to how he got himself in this situation.

The Strawhats have stopped by a town to restock on their supplies; a rather wealthy town with big ports. Many different ships were docked there and the villagers seemed to be quite welcoming to outsiders, even if they are pirates.

Nami has given everyone their allowances and went with Robin to go clothes shopping, leaving Sanji to do the groceries and other necessities. Sanji didn't mind the work one bit of course, he would gladly do anything to serve the ladies.

He had just finished depositing the supplies back onto the Sunny before heading out again for more shopping, this time mostly for his own leisure when a gorgeous lady in a silky blue dress came up to him. The dress fitted her perfectly, emphasizing her body shape and did wonders for her chest till Sanji almost had a nosebleed then and there.

The lady asked Sanji to join her for a drink and how could Sanji deny a beautiful woman such a request?!

He checked his watch and decided he still had some time left before returning to the Sunny and accompanied the lady to an obscure bar somewhere deep within an alley.

Seeing that should've raised some alarm bells in his head but Sanji—ever the love-struck fool—ignored it and followed her into the bar with hearts in his eyes.

The lady ordered two drinks from the bartender and passed one to Sanji, raising her glass towards his and meeting it with a soft 'klick'.

The lady talked little about herself and mostly asked Sanji about his life as a pirate but most of the time, Sanji was too busy staring dreamily to reply.

Soon, he realized it was time to return back to the Sunny to prepare dinner and thanked the lady for the wonderful evening. The lady smiled and said nothing, her eyes held a sad glint in it that Sanji didn't know what to think of it.

He stood and walked to the door. Unfortunately, he did not make the first few steps before finding himself on his knees.

His vision swarmed and he felt nauseous.

Shit. He's been drugged.

He knew the signs and he knew he'll soon lose consciousness. That was one thing that he could never fight against no matter how much you train your body.

He felt hands touching his face and wanted to slap whoever it was away but it was all he could do to stay upright. Soon, the darkness on the edges of his vision started to close in, gradually obstructing his vision and felt his consciousness slip away.

Fuck...

His last thought was how Zoro would chew on him if he ever found out how careless he got.

* * *

His memories of what transpired slowly returned to him and the taste of the drug lingered in his parched mouth. He cursed out loud at his own carelessness which led to a coughing fit that scraped his throat raw. The sound of his coughing carried through the air and back to him, letting him know he was in some enclosed space that smelled strongly of moldy, damp wood.

How long has he been here?

Based on his stomach, it seemed it could've been about a day since he got drugged up and hauled here. His head still throbbed in pain most likely to the side effects of the drug. Though it didn't explain the aches and pains in his body though.

Had he fought when they came to take him away? Did he at least put up a fight that made it difficult for them to bring him in?

He hoped he at least kicked a few jaws and broke some ribs to whoever captured him.

He was suddenly jerked to the right as the place around him groaned and creaked.

Sanji could feel the slight rocking of the sea waves and knew unmistakably that he was on a ship.

A pirate ship most probably because the marines' ship never at least never smelled this badly.

He should know, since he'd been in lots of marine ships than he could count.

Not as a prisoner mind you. But as a friendly, neighborhood ship wrecker.

So he speculated that he was most likely on a pirate ship. Maybe one who wanted to claim his bounty? Either way, it's time he figured out a way to escape.

He tested on the shackles with a few experimental pulls but found that it wasn't going to break. Same as the shackles on his ankles.

_At least they're being competent in their job_.

Sanji thought bitterly. He would've thought these pirates who dared snoop so low to drugging people for their bounty would be careless and tie him up with rope or something. But nope. These people seemed to know what they're doing.

As much as Sanji welcomes the challenge, he had to escape right now. Who knows what Luffy could be doing to his precious kitchen and the crew would be hungry by now.

Speaking of now, Sanji had no idea what time it was. If he had been knocked out by the drug for a whole day, then Luffy would've missed both dinner and breakfast!

He has to get back right now otherwise he'd be failing his job as the Strawhat's Cook.

Since the shackles won't budge, he tried getting the blindfold off by rubbing it repeatedly on a nearby wall till it slid off. He had to blink a few times to get his eyes adjusted though it was kind of useless because the room was dark with no windows. What little light came from under the only door in the small room.

He could hear a number of people outside the door speaking in low tones that Sanji couldn't make out what they're saying but he was sure it was about him. He heard his name being said a couple of times along with some....unsavory names.

_Scumbags..._

Sanji tried his bindings again and used all his strength to break it. He felt the metal pulling and he knew that—given time—he will be able to break the chains at least. He just hoped no one would come in while he's trying.

He tried again and again till his wrist was sore due to the shackles rubbing uncomfortably against his skin and decided he needed a break. Whatever drug he was given was still in his system and it made him dizzy with exhaustion.

He has no idea how long he spent resting but the next thing he knew, a loud explosion rocked the whole place, tossing Sanji to his side. His elbow scraped against the rocky floor, causing him to let out a painful hiss and he slowly climbed up to his feet, his senses stretched outwards to see what had happened.

Several auras were approaching the ship—auras that he knew like the back of his hand.

The others were here for him!

Sanji couldn't help the grin that graced his lips as he heard the loud yells of his captain and the battle cry of the men upstairs. The battle was on and he would be damn if he just sat here playing the damsel in distress.

He quickly got back to his stupid cuffs, tugging them again with renewed vigor, huffing and puffing till his cheeks turned red with effort.

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth try, he tugged at the damn chains with both hands and it finally broke under the pressure with a loud snap. He did the same for the chains binding his legs and after much effort, snapped, leaving him free to move.

Well, not entirely. The shackles were still tight around his wrist and ankles but the chain was broken. At least this way he could move and kick the enemies' ass. His foot twitched in anticipation of the humiliation those low-life made him go through and he'll never hear the end of it from the moss-head.

He must've been making too much noise that it alerted the guards outside because no sooner he broke the chains on his legs, the guards outside the door came rushing in with swords in hand.

He didn't even give them a chance to yell out before he smashed his foot into their skulls with a quick move and casually walked out of the room a free man.

Weaklings.

He spat, sparing a disgusted glance at the bodies on the floor before running out another door that should led the way out.

The shackles were heavy on his wrists and ankles but he ignored it and concentrated on finding his way out of this complex ship.

It seems like he was kept on the very bottom level of the ship and judging by the size of the rooms he passed, the ship must have been a huge one, one bigger than Sunny.

After running through many hallways and climbing multiple staircases, he felt like he was going around in circles because everything looked the same to him.

_At least put up some signs damnit!_

He cursed. Now he felt like the idiot marimo and that fact bothered him a lot.

He turned another corner without slowing down his speed just in time to see another group of pirates flung themselves at him.

With his quick reflexes, he ducked and pushed his way through the hallways, running down all who stood in his way with his kicks.

After he cleared another level and climbed another set of stairs, he was finally able to feel the sea breeze from the small cracks of the wood and he knew that he was close to the surface.

"SANJI!!!! Where are you!"

His eyes widened at the voice that rang through the air and he couldn't help but smile. That crazy captain of his was here for him. He knew Luffy would come but it was still a huge relief to hear his captain's voice so close.

If Luffy's here, then the others must be too.

An image of a certain green-haired Swordsman flashed passed his mind and he felt his heart squeeze with longing even as his brain cursed himself for thinking about him.

_Focus. So close now._ He chided himself. He turned another corner and found himself face to face with another group of pirates, all armed and ready to stop him. A door rested behind them and Sanji knew it was the door to his freedom. He just had to get pass these pirates blocking his way. Easy.

"Hold'n there blonde." A pirate with an imposing build stepped forward with a smirk on his face. "Can't have our prize runn' away now can we?"

He had a large cutlass resting on his shoulder in his meaty hands and a real ugly face that has several scars with 2 of his front teeth missing. Sanji was genuinely appalled by this and even more so when the pirate looked at him with lascivious eyes, making Sanji really uncomfortable.

"Fuck off." Sanji growled and prepared to smash the bastard's face in for sullying his eyes.

"I'll be glad to." He sniggered, clearly taking whatever Sanji said and twisting his words. The rest of his minions laughed along with him which just helped to add fuel to Sanji's already burning anger.

Sanji didn't want to stay here with these assholes for another minute. His crew was here for him and he can't wait to see them again.

His mouth ached for a cigarette but he'll have to make do for now. After all, he has these meat bags in front of him to vent his frustrations on. How delightful.

The fight took longer than he expected and when he was done, he was feeling even more frustrated at himself for having taken so long. He must be really out of his game today, or the drug in his system hasn't quite worn off as he thought it would.

"Bitch! How dare you!" The man growled from the ground where Sanji smashed him into.

Sanji didn't bother to give a response and quickly hurried to the door.

_So close now._ He grinned when he opened the door as the sea breeze caressed his face and the sunlight blinded his eyes.

Once he goes up the stairs, he'll be on deck where everyone was by the sound of chaos up above.

He barely took a step before a sudden pain exploded on his side and he stumbled in his steps before righting himself.

"Heh heh. Serves you right bi—"

The man couldn't finish his sentence before Sanji kicked him right in the jaw, rendering him unconscious and most likely permanent damage to his mouth.

Standing up with a hiss, he checked his side to see blood steadily trickling out from the bullet wound. The bullet seemed to be embedded inside of him because Sanji could see no exit wound and Sanji cursed to himself, adding another kick to the unconscious man on the floor.

"Fuck fuck fuck!!" He muttered under his breath.

He couldn't let himself stop now. He was so close to freedom and he could hear his crew fighting outside. He couldn't just stay still and let them fight without him.

Every step made his side flare up in flames but he forced his legs to move towards the door again and up the stairs towards his freedom. He had no idea how he managed up the stairs but he guessed it was the adrenaline burning within him from the fight before. It helped dim the pain at his side and push aside the building headache, making him ready to fight when he stepped onto the deck.

There were pirates everywhere on the deck and he spotted Chopper and Zoro in the crowd of bodies, each fighting multiple enemies. He saw multiple hands popping up from nowhere, snapping the backs of the enemy pirates and some were getting shot down without warning by an unseen force. There was also an occasional laughter drifting through the air followed by machine guns sounds.

The Strawhats were each occupied with their own fights but the battle seemed to be in their favor. That thought brought a moment of relief from Sanji but he knew he couldn't relax just yet. His left side hurts like a bitch and was getting damper by the minute but he wasn't out yet. It was his fault that they were in this predicament so he better wrap this up quickly before the lovely ladies get hurt or something goes wrong.

Running to the nearest pirate, he swung his leg high up in the air and kicked him full force into another group of pirates behind him, sending the group flying into the sea. The loud slash made multiple heads turn to him and he heard a chorus of his name being called.

"Sanji!!"

There was relief in their voices but Sanji couldn't turn to talk now. Not when more pirates were coming his way.

The battle was on and it took all of Sanji's concentration to fight. It was only due to his willpower that he was able to push aside the burning pain at his side but willpower could only get him that far. He could feel his body slowing and his kicks were not as powerful as before.

Seems like it was not only he who noticed it but the enemies as well. More were swarming him, some breaking off from his crew mates in favor of attacking him. They were like sharks being drawn in by his blood and it was quickly draining him. Not to mention the blood loss wasn't helping at all.

He ducked and hissed under his breath as a sword came slashing at him, nicking him in the shoulder. It was a small wound, but he knew what the implications meant and the enemies knew it too.

He was tired. So very tired. His sides burned with both pain and effort, and his head was throbbing nonstop. Somehow the pain from his side has spread to his left arm, making it heavy and slow. He felt as though he had ten ton of steel chained onto his limbs before realizing that he still had those damn cuffs attached to his wrist and ankles, though he didn't remember it being so heavy.

His thoughts were still on the cuffs so he couldn't react in time to the attack aimed at his chest.

There was no pain at all. Nothing but the blood that gushed out of the sword wound before his mind registered that he had been stabbed. The pirate who stabbed him grinned in victory before getting a swift kick in the face by a set of hooves.

Chopper's face appeared in his vision, all teary eyed and worried. He wanted to say something to reassure him that he's fine, he's alright, but no words would come out of his mouth.

Panic slowly rose in him when he realized how much of his body he couldn't move, let alone feel. He was so numb, like his body wasn't even there.

Chopper shouted something to him and it took him a while to understand his words.

"—ji! —poisoned— —need to—the Sunny—"

Hearing Sunny’s name made him relaxed a little. He was finally going to go back home.

But what was that about the poison? He didn't remember getting hit by any poison. His body was so numb now that he guessed it was a good thing because he would rather not feel the burn of the bullet in his body.

Oh yeah the bullet....

He didn't remember closing his eyes but he struggled to crack one eye open and it was not Chopper's face this time.

Zoro was holding him and it looked like he was running.

"Mari....mo...." His throat was so parched and it hurt to talk but he needed this.

"Shut up Cook. Save your energy."

He wanted to retort something—anything. But his body wouldn't obey him. He felt his consciousness quickly slipping away and the last thing he saw was the Marimo's face looking worried and anxious.

That's not like you at all. He wanted to laugh but was met with only darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get resolved. Idiots get together. 
> 
> Happy endings for everyone.:)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shoot! I totally forgot to update this fic! I finished it weeks ago but didn't update it because I got obsessed over a chinese BL drama that took all my time away.
> 
> But then I saw some comments on this fic, and remembered that I should probably finish this so that I don't leave ppl hanging.
> 
> I'm so sorry about the late update but I hope you'll enjoy this little fic I cooked up in my free time. 
> 
> Stay safe out there wherever you are!<3

Darkness.

That was all he could feel.

That was all his world consisted of.

He felt nothing. See nothing and for a moment he thought he had died if not for the fact that his ears still worked despite his broken body.

He couldn't hear much, only broken bits and pieces of conversation around him but it was enough to put him at ease to know that he was with his crew. From the words that he caught from them during their conversation, he knew he had been poisoned and fatally wounded in the chest. That would've explained why he has some difficulty in breathing and if not for the poison numbing his entire body, he might've passed out from the agonizing pain of his wounds. Ah, the irony.

It took him days to finally leave the darkness behind and awake to the land of consciousness. By then the poison has left him but his wounds remain, especially the stab wound to the chest which left him gritting his lips till it bled. He passed out soon after, stubbornness had made him hold on but it was a futile effort when his body won the fight and he succumbed to the darkness once more.

It took him another two days till he woke once more and although this time he felt as though a train had hit him, he was well enough to stay conscious to have a conversation with his doctor.

Chopper told him what had transpired after his kidnapping and how the crew gathered information around the area before finding the lady who drugged him. She and her family were being threatened for their lives by those lowlifes to drug him.

He felt relieved when he heard that. No lady would do such an underhanded act without reason. But hearing that she'd been threatened by those pirates made Sanji seethe in anger. If he'd known that before, he would've smashed those pirates' balls so hard, they'll never be able to walk again.

"What about their captain?" Sanji croaked. Damn, his voice was so croaky after weeks of disuse.

Chopper noticed this and hopped down the chair to get a glass of water from the jug he kept on his table.

"Luffy blasted the captain off into the horizon. I doubt we'll be seeing him again." Chopper answered a little too happily and Sanji wondered what else his captain did before throwing the man away but didn't ask.

Taking the glass of water with grateful hands, he relished the cool feeling of liquid flowing down his throat and sighed contently.

"Thanks." He passes the glass to Chopper and he fills it up with water again before passing it back. This time Sanji took the time to sip the water, holding the warm glass in his hands for comfort.

God his body hurts like a bitch but no way was he going to show it. His whole body was wrapped up in bandages; from his chest to his arms and even to his ankles. The cuffs was taken off of him but he could still feel the bruises it caused from rubbing against his skin. His body felt alien but no way was he going to bring that up to Chopper. It was already embarrassing enough for him to get kidnapped and had to be rescued by his crew and he didn't want to show anymore of his pathetic side anymore. Being bedridden was annoying but he knew Chopper would never let him out until he gave the all clear.

"Sanji, are you feeling alright? The others are waiting outside to see you but if you're not feeling up to it, we can always—"

"No. It's fine. I'm fine Chopper." Sanji insisted.

"Okay...if you're sure...." Chopper sighed in disapproval but went to open the door anyway for the others to enter.

Immediately after the door opened, Luffy came bouncing in with a look of joy on his face.

"SANJI!!!"

Sanji prepared for the impact to come but was surprised when it didn't. Zoro had managed to catch Luffy by the collar and held him back from throwing himself at the injured person on the bed.

The last time he saw the Swordsman was right before he blacked out and now that he looked at him again, he was a little disappointed to see no trace of emotions that he saw that day. It was a rare thing to see him so worried about him and it only took him to a near-death state for the Swordsman to show him he cared. 

He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about that….

“Sanji-kun!” “Sanji-san!” “Cook-bro!”

Nami, Brook and Franky came forward to greet him with worry on their faces as Robin silently walked up to his bed and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“We’re all so worried about you. Glad to see you’re alright.” She smiled and Sanji felt as though a love-arrow pierced through his heart.

“Ah! I’m fine now thanks to you my lovely flower!” He sang and he felt his friends relaxed at his usual melodrama. 

“Sanji! I’m hungry! Food!” Luffy bagered. 

“You idiot! He can’t cook right now!” Nami yelled and hit Luffy on the head before Sanji could say anything and Chopper yelled at his captain for even asking that. Usopp joins in to chide Luffy on not being able to read the situation and Brook laughed at how silly everything was with Franky inserting his very useless 2-cents every now and then into the chaos.

“It’s okay. I should be able to make something real quick.” He tried to speak up over the commotion but was drowned out by everyone’s voices. 

“You don’t need to do anything but stay put stupid Cook.”

Zoro’s voice startled him and he was not expecting the man to stand right beside his bed, not to mention he was a little bit too close or was it just Sanji’s imagination?

“I'm injured, not disabled.” He snapped. “I can still do my job and cook.”

“You were poisoned.” Zoro said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone that made Sanji look up to his face. It was his usual impassive face but his lips were taut and his eyes were looking at him with something that Sanji couldn’t pinpoint. “You were unconscious and on the brink of death for 3 days and even after that we weren’t sure you’d ever wake.”

Zoro’s voice was a harsh whisper and Sanji could see he wasn’t his usual self. 

_Was he worried about him?_

That thought made him widen his eyes in alarm and as quick as the thought came, he dismissed it for wishful thinking. 

Zoro had made it clear his dislike for Sanji ever since he first came onboard. Sanji had thought he could make the guy like him as time went by but all he did was to get on Zoro’s nerves and they would end up fighting all the time. It wasn’t all that bad to Sanji though. He enjoyed those fights and the exchange of insults back and forth, he wasn’t sure if Zoro did too though. But the look on that man’s face, he didn’t think Zoro would enjoy anything that has to do with Sanji. Even mealtimes must be like torture for the man judging by his constipated expression when eating Sanji’s meals and he always insult his food. Zoro does finish his meals every time but he thinks he just didn’t want to waste food which was fine in Sanji’s opinion. However, he just wished the man would at least praise his skills for once and acknowledge it. Would it kill him to say “It’s good” or even nod in appreciation?

He didn’t notice that he hasn’t replied to Zoro or has even had the words to answer him with.

_How in the world am I even supposed to say to that?_

He guessed he must’ve taken too long to reply because Zoro figured the conversation was over and left. His boot stomping over the deck had silenced the rest of the crew and they looked on quizzically at the fuming moss.

“Don’t mind the idiot. He was really worried about you just like we all were.” Nami huffed, shaking her head at her stubborn crew mate.

“But he worried about you the most!” Luffy chimed in cheerfully.

“Yeah right. The marimo? Worried about me?” Sanji scoffed. “I bet he was just disappointed that I hadn’t kicked the bucket yet.”

“Hey! Not cool bro!” Franky frowned.

“Yeah, you shouldn’t say that!” Nami looked at him disapprovingly which made Sanji’s heart plummet.

“Zoro-san was very concerned over your well-being and not once, had he left your side while you were bedridden.” Robin provided.

“Yohoho! That’s right!” Brook chimed in. “And when you went missing, he went absolutely livid! It was terrifying!”

“Yeah. I thought Zoro was scary before but that was something I’d rather not see again. Even I felt sorry for his enemies...” Usopp shuddered at the memory of his crew mate slaughtering the Marines without mercy and with no hesitation at all. It was as though a War God had descended and no one was going to survive the battle. Once again, Usopp was so glad that this monster was on their side and not someone who Usopp would ever have to face.

Sanji took in their words and couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea that Zoro actually cared for him. They had been at each other’s throats since they met and even though Sanji’s feelings for the moss had changed considerably, he didn’t think the other would.

At least not towards someone like Sanji. 

He had already accepted that the marimo would never reciprocate his feelings or even accept him as a friend but now his crew was telling him different. He really wants to let himself believe that but a part of him was afraid it was all a lie and he would only end up getting hurt in the end. 

But if what his crew said was true, would he even dare take that step?

“Just talk to him.” Nami lightly nudged him in the shoulder. “You too idiots are too hopeless to be left alone.” She sighed.

Sanji didn’t understand what she meant by that but he realized that he needed to at least communicate with the moss in order to understand.

Understand what exactly?

He wished all of this emotion stuff wasn’t so complicated and messy. But everything about Sanji’s life was complicated and messy. He didn’t hate it—it made him who he is after all, but he didn’t like it either. 

“Alright. Everybody out. My patient needs his rest.” Chopper ordered and everyone obeyed the little doctor’s words. 

A chorus of ‘Good Night’ from his crew mates and one stern warning _not_ to get up from the reindeer before he found himself alone in the room. 

His body felt extremely heavy, indicating that he wasn’t even remotely recovered yet and not even the painkillers were enough to block out all of his injuries. He gingerly let himself down onto the pillow, staring at the empty ceiling before his eyelid slid shut. Almost immediately, his mind was out like a light.

* * *

The next few days consisted of daily check-ups from Chopper and several visits from his crew mates; mostly Luffy, Usopp and Brook who didn’t want him to feel bored. But their idea of entertainment was so off, that Sanji preferred they left him alone rather than grate his nerves off with their insane antics. Even Chopper had to constantly step in to stop them from aggravating his patient’s injuries any further. 

Occasionally, Robin and Nami stopped by to pass him some books or daily updates to keep him entertained and he enjoyed them more compared to Luffy’s idea of entertainment. Even Franky came once in a while to show off his wide contraptions so Sanji won’t feel left out.

But never once did Zoro come to see him after that day.

It didn’t bother Sanji one bit at all.

Nope. Not one bit.

.......

_Fucking moss-for-brains!_

Sanji badly wanted to kick the bastard’s head in or even lash out on something right now, but he can’t even leave the bed without aggravating his injuries.

His mouth itches badly for a cigarette but he couldn’t manage to get any of his crew members (other than Chopper or the ladies of course) to pass him some from his stash. No one was willing to risk their doctor’s wrath if he found out that they messed with his patient and gave him something that was knowingly bad for his health.

So he was left with a large amount of pent-up anger and irritation from both Zoro and not getting his fix—but mostly from that algae.

Being bedridden with nothing to do but rest had given him a lot of time to his thoughts. With his crew’s words about Zoro circling around his head, he thought hard about what it meant and on Zoro’s parting words that day.

_Was he truly worried about me?_

He really didn’t want to give himself false hopes but the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that Zoro was really genuinely worried about him.

_Was my near-death really that shocking to him?_

It wasn’t his finest moment, that's for sure. He vaguely remembered how much blood was over him. He was sure he was even paler than his usual complexion, but that was due to the blood loss. And his appearance was all beaten up and bruised.

It was an embarrassing sight for his rival to witness for sure but he didn’t think Zoro would use that against him. The Swordsman wasn’t like that.

And when he found himself in Zoro’s arms after he collapsed, he could clearly remember the moss-head’s expression; the clenched jaw, the firm but gentle arms that held him and the worry in his eye.

Yes. That was what he witnessed moments before he fainted but he thought he was hallucinating due to his own desires. But now that he was convinced that it wasn’t the trick of the light or his own projections or any other excuses he could come up with, he was feeling quite puzzled. 

He didn’t know what to do with this information that he discovered but what he does know was that a talk with the idiot was required. 

If he has to go through this annoying thought process, then he will drag Zoro with him. Besides, that moss-head owes Sanji an explanation for his behaviour and Sanji wasn’t going to let him go that easily without a good one. With a plan in mind, he waited patiently till Chopper was asleep and Zoro was in charge of the night-watch. 

Standing after so long was difficult and his injury hurt like a bitch, but he managed. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself to take the first step and almost collapsed onto the floor if he hadn’t grabbed onto the bed at the last moment. Still, with the flaring pain on his chest, he suspected that he may have torn his stitches and Chopper was _so_ going to murder him for that.

But he’ll think about that later, after he accomplished what he set out to do.

Using the wall as a clutch, he slowly made his way to the door and after a painful journey, he was left breathless and frustrated at his own body.

It took him a moment to catch his breath before setting out again, this time stepping outside onto the lawn and for the first time since forever, he got to see the night skies and feel the sea breeze after weeks of being stuck in the infirmary.

He was so caught up with the scenery before him that he failed to notice footsteps behind him before a voice made him jump. 

“Oi.”

He whirled around to find Zoro standing there with a bottle in hand and a deep scowl on his face.

There were so many things he had prepared for when he saw Zoro but what came out first was: “Who gave you permission to take that?”

Zoro stared at him with a ‘Really?’ expression before answering with an annoyed huff.

“Don’t worry your prissy head off. I bought it with my own money so back off.” He groused.

Sanji was curious as to where Zoro got his money from but that wasn’t the question he wanted to focus on now. There were more important things to discuss than the moss-head’s drinking allowance.

“Hey….” He started but trailed off when he realized that he didn’t have a clue on how to start this conversation at all. But he had come this far after agonizing about this for many nights and he wasn’t about to let himself back out right now. 

So he steeled himself and forced himself to look Zoro in the eyes. 

“Why didn’t you come by the infirmary?” 

And cringed at how needy he sounded but he got right to the point didn’t he?

Zoro gave him a look that suggested he was crazy and at this point he would rather be crazy than to continue to be stuck at the standstill with his thoughts about Zoro.

“I didn’t know you were so lonely. What? The others weren’t entertaining enough for you?” He scoffed and continued to drink out of his bottle.

Sanji watched as some of the liquid escaped from his lips and dripped down his chin and onto his exposed chest. It was as though he was bewitched and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from every simple motion Zoro did and he felt himself quickly losing the will to continue this conversation.

He tried once more to force himself to shoulder on and use what always got him through the worst of times; anger. 

“Could you maybe put that fucking bottle down for a minute you alcoholic moss-for-brains!” He yelled.

Now that got a reaction from Zoro and he frowned at Sanji with a small glint of anger behind those eyes.

“What the fuck do you want?”

Good. At least he got Zoro’s attention and it seemed like the man was willing to listen-- for once.

“What I want…is to talk.”

Zoro stared at him for a few seconds to judge whether he was serious or not and when he saw that Sanji was absolutely serious, he nodded his head once and turned away. 

“Go ahead. You’d talk even if I say no anyway...”

“Glad you understand me so well.” Sanji smirked, glad that something was finally going his way.

He followed Zoro to the side, leaning against the railings to take some weight off his aching body. He spotted Zoro giving him a concerned glance but it was quickly covered with an annoyed grumble.

“So? What do you want? I haven’t got all day.”

Tempting down the fiery anger inside of him, he kept reminding him to be civil and wanted the talk between them to be as honest as possible. Though knowing the two of them, it’ll be a difficult task to accomplish. 

“So...I overheard some stuff the crew said the other day...about you not leaving my side when I was unconscious...and also how you went crazy over my disappearance….” Sanji said all this slowly and carefully as he wanted to gauge Zoro’s reaction to his words. But all the man showed was annoyance.

“Those damn loudmouth idiots….” He muttered to himself. “I did _not_ go crazy over you. I would worry over any of my crew mates if they were to suddenly disappear. Though I’m sure only your idiot ass would get kidnapped by a woman.”

That insult was expected so the blow wasn’t as triggering for Sanji but it still made him angry. “Hey! She was in trouble! A gentleman like me would never ignore a lady in need!” He defended haughtily. 

“Gentleman….Yeah right…” 

Sanji was almost certain that he saw Zoro’s lips twitch just a tiny bit before the man turned away from him but Sanji was sure he wasn’t mistaken.

_This is nice._ Sanji thought. He missed his usual banter with Zoro and was glad that nothing much has changed between them even if Zoro had avoided him the last few days but now they were insulting each other again like usual. 

It was fun. It was relaxing. It was comforting to be with Zoro once again and he knew he should be happy with what he has and not ask for more but his heart can’t help what it wants.

“So...was it true?” 

Sanji didn’t dare hope but he really wanted to know what Zoro felt about him. Whether he was Zoro’s crew mate, rival or just a nuisance would be fine, as long as he knows where he stands in Zoro’s eyes.

Zoro sighed heavily and turned away from him, making Sanji’s heart sink. A long moment passed and just when Sanji thought Zoro wasn’t going to open up to him, the man spoke.

“I don’t know….” He sighed once more and rubbed a hand over his tired face. “It was just…” He seemed to struggle to find the words and Sanji knew that he was trying hard right now because the man was never good with words, but it made Sanji’s heart warm to know that he was at least trying instead of brushing Sanji off which he could’ve done at any moment.

A few more moments passed but Sanji was willing to wait for as long as Zoro needed to find the words to say. The man seemed to be experiencing some internal conflict within himself right now and Sanji knew what that felt like since he was in the same position not too long ago. Sanji’s patience finally won when Zoro turned to face him but Sanji was not prepared to see the broken expression on his face.

No. He was not prepared at all for this.

“When I first saw you....you were...I thought.....” He trailed off and Sanji could see the pain in his eyes and the way he clenched his fist so tight that it was almost breaking skin.

It was like he was in a dream. He never thought he would see the day that the feared Demon of the East—Roronoa Zoro—could look so vulnerable and small. This didn’t seem real but Sanji couldn’t turn his eyes away from this, not when Zoro was taking so much effort to acknowledge it. Not when Sanji was the one who wanted this.

“I thought you died….” Zoro’s voice choked and he took a moment to recompose himself before carrying on. “I don’t….” He shook his head hard. “I thought you were gone and suddenly everything didn’t make sense anymore.”

Sanji knew what Zoro was talking about. He felt the same way when he first woke up during the Thriller Bark incident and thought he had lost Zoro forever. The feeling when he knew Zoro was going to be fine had left him weak and he had to find a secluded spot to cry his eyes out before feeling human again. He was a train-wreck of emotions but it made him more aware of his growing feelings towards the Swordsman. 

And now Zoro was feeling something akin to this…

He quickly crushed down his annoying rising hope of his and forced himself to pay attention to Zoro’s words.

“Then my mind kept thinking back to all those stupid things we would do and I kept thinking it wouldn’t be fun anymore without your stupid ass around and then everything would be pointless. This annoying feeling in my chest kept distracting me and I can’t do anything to stop it! It was like with Kuina all over again and I’m helpless to do anything even though I swore to be stronger so I won’t have to go through that feeling again!” Zoro was so worn out by the end of the sentence and Sanji could only stare in silence at the man.

He knew little about Kunia, only that she was someone who had passed away long ago and was the whole reason why Zoro was so determined to achieve his dream.

He understood the feeling of helplessness very well and knew how frustrating it was to not be able to be in control of what’s happening. It was a torture to just watch on, knowing that there’s nothing in your power that you can do to prevent it.

Sanji knew that feeling all too well during his days in Germa.

“And when I saw you awake again....” Zoro started. “You were being your usual stupid self and seeing that.....I just got so angry!” 

Zoro took a deep breath to control the volume of his voice before speaking once more.

“You almost died and you were acting as though it wasn’t a big deal! What kind of idiot are you?!”

“Hey!” Sanji instinctively defended against that insult even though there was some truth to Zoro’s words that Sanji somewhat agreed with.

Zoro was not done though.

“I realised that I couldn’t bear the thought of not having you standing by my side....” He softly admitted before letting out an exhausted sigh. “And I don’t understand why....”

Sanji held his breath through Zoro’s so-called confession and couldn’t believe his ears.

Was Zoro admitting he has feelings for Sanji?!

Everything he thought about Zoro was wrong and he felt like a fool for assuming things and being so hostile to the man.

Then again, it was also Zoro’s fault for being so unclear of his own feelings and actions. All the insults and glares he sent Sanji’s way was a clear sign that he disliked the man but now that words were finally said and feelings _actually_ being addressed, he realised that Zoro did not hate Sanji at all.

It was a weird revelation to Sanji and to Zoro as well but it was something that has been long overdue for a conversation between these two stubborn individuals.

And that Zoro has taken the first step to this, it was Sanji’s turn to return the favor and so far, his brain was running in overdrive at the whole revelation thing. 

He can’t believe he’s doing this.

“Well...I’m still here....” Sanji started, his voice low and unsure like he was testing the waters before plunging in deep for the final confession. “I’m not going anywhere….So it’s not too late for that....y’know...” Sanji could only stare at the floor as he blurted the words out. So was so embarrassed about this that he didn’t even have the courage to look Zoro in the face and tried hard not to let the obvious blush on his cheeks show. His underlying intent should be clear even for an idiot like Zoro so he can’t pretend to brush it away as a misunderstanding.

There was silence after that and he could feel the atmosphere turn into something awkward and cold. Sanji felt his heart plummet at the silent rejection from the man and didn’t know it could hurt this bad. He felt tears prick at the back of his eyes but he refused to let them show.

He’d known this was a possibility. He’d known that Zoro might not share the same feelings as him. Had known he would reject his feelings.

He’d known and had run through the number of scenarios in his head with most of it ending in him laughing it off as a joke and then returning back to their usual status quo. 

But he hadn’t taken account for was the literal heartache that came with the knowledge and didn’t expect the rejection to be this excruciating.

Still, he had to fix this. He can’t let something like this break apart their crew dynamics.

He tried to let out a light laugh that came out sounding like a choked sob but he tried once more.

“Hah! I was only joking Marimo! Don’t tell me you took it seriously?” He forced himself to look up and stop short at the expression on the Swordsman’s face. 

Zoro looked like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes were full-blown, mouth opened and his arms draped loosely by his sides, as though dazed. He looked as though his brain had shut down and was having trouble computing his system to restart once more. 

Sanji could not help but burst out in laughter at Zoro’s face and that started the man back into the present. Zoro’s expression quickly twisted into a scowl when Sanji howled in laughter and his fingers hovered over his swords, itching to draw them out to stop Sanji from laughing at him.

Sanji’s laughter quickly slowed into a small chuckle when he saw Zoro’s patience wearing thin and he wiped his eyes free of the tears that came from laughing too hard. (Though, it may be from the tears from the rejection but he’ll never admit it.) 

“Sorry sorry….You’re face was just too much!” He chuckled once more and decided this was the perfect moment to dismiss everything that was said and escape.

“Well...It’s late so I better go back before Chopper catches me out of bed….” He trailed off, unsure of what to say. It didn’t feel right to leave things like this but he doesn’t know what else he could say right now.

He turned to go, forcing his trembling legs to move as he pushed himself off the railing he was using to support himself. The pain in his chest was a pleasant feeling to distract him from the phantom ache deep down inside him and he used it to ground himself to reality and move on.

Zoro didn’t want him--at least not in the way Sanji wanted Zoro. Sanji never knew how much he wanted the idiot until this moment and it hurts to know the truth. It’d have been better if he had shut his mouth and pushed down all his feelings for the man. He never should’ve asked.

Why couldn't he just be satisfied with what he had? 

Why did he have to ruin it with his stupid heart?

_Stupid Stupid Sanji!_

He berated himself as he slowly shuffled across the deck towards the infirmary. He couldn’t even care less that he was showing a shameful sight to Zoro right now.

He was moving agonizingly slow and his injuries throb badly but he wanted to get back to the bed so he could have the privacy to feel sorry for himself after such a disgraceful experience. Then, all of the sudden, all pressure was gone from his legs and he found himself being swept off his feet and onto strong, muscular arms. 

He couldn’t help but let out a small squeak at the sudden action from Zoro and felt his face turn red at being held like a princess. 

What the hell was the man thinking!

He wanted to kick out at him but let out a sharp hiss when he attempted the action.

“Stop moving Cook. You’re going to aggravate your wounds. I don’t want Chopper coming to complain to me that you didn’t listen to his orders.” Zoro grumbled, his face as impassive as ever as he carried Sanji across the deck in quick, steady steps and into the infirmary.

Sanji couldn’t believe this was happening and covered his embarrassed face with both hands as Zoro carried him into the room. He could feel Zoro’s body heat burning into him from where he touched and it was making him burn up as well.

“What you said before….” Zoro said it so softly that Sanji almost missed it if not for the fact he was so close to the man. “I think…I think I’d like that....”

Sanji almost had to question his own ears for a second because he couldn’t believe what he just heard. He lowered his hands from his face and stared at Zoro with a dumbfounded look. To his utter surprise, Zoro’s expression was another that he had never witnessed before. 

Zoro’s face was red. The man looked unsure of himself compared to his usual smug or confident expressions, like he experienced a conflict of emotions all at once and didn’t know how to express it. 

Just like how Sanji was once. 

And this was all because of Sanji.

Zoro laid the blond on the medical bed with surprising gentleness and quickly turned, eager to escape this awkward situation before it consumed him. But Sanji quickly shot out a hand to hold him there and latched on to it like his lifeline.

“Do...Do you really mean that?” Sanji held his breath as he waited for Zoro’s reply. Zoro’s words had kindled something that he thought he had snuffed out but he really didn’t want to wrongly assume something again in case it broke him once more. He wasn’t mentally strong for that right now. 

“Y-Yeah….” Zoro’s voice was low but Sanji heard it loud and clear in the quiet room. He felt as though his heart had skipped a beat in his chest and he didn’t dare let out his breath in case this was all a dream and he didn’t want to ruin the moment. 

Zoro turned around to face him, this time with more determination on his face and the soft expression he would use for the younger members of the crew. “Yeah. I meant it. I want to be with you.” 

Hearing the words come out from Zoro’s mouth made him think he was hallucinating about his fantasy and portraying his innermost desires. That, or he could be dead and living in some made-up heaven. Oh who was he kidding, he was definitely going to hell considering how he lived his life. Not that he was having any regrets of course but--

“Oi! Why are you mumbling to yourself for? Did you hit your head?” 

Zoro’s face was so close to his and he froze up. The blush on his cheeks now surely reaching to his ears.

“I-It’s nothing!” He stuttered and internally winced for that embarrassing scene. “Get your ugly mug away from me stupid moss-head!” He let out a weak growl and saw Zoro’s face turned smug.

Zoro sat on the side of the bed with his back to Sanji but Sanji knew it was only because they were both so embarrassed by this situation right now. They both didn’t know what to do in this atmosphere and so they sat in silence for a while before one of them broke it.

“I like you, y’know.” Sanji whispered, glad to be able to finally say this to the man he loves. “Like for a long while now….”

“I know...And I like you too. Been feeling that way ever since you kicked that fishman into building back at Nami’s hometown.”

That revelation had Sanji widening his eyes at how foolish they both had been. They both had feelings for one another since they met but were too stubborn to admit it to one another. And even when Sanji wanted to, he was too filled with fear to go through with it. They wasted so much time dancing around one another when they could’ve bravely admitted their feelings and saved them so much time.

But all that’s in the past now. After everything, they were finally here with both their feelings known to one another and accepting them.

What better ending could Sanji possibly ask for?

The weight in his chest felt as though it’s been completely lifted and he let out a pleasant sigh of relief as he leaned his head against Zoro’s broad back in content. Sanji turned his head to hide a smile that spread across his face as he slowly threaded his fingers into the Swordsman’s. Zoro’s hands were warm, rough and calloused, so unlike his own that he takes care of so much. But it was Zoro’s and it was evidence of how much work he had put into his swordsmanship for his dreams. 

God, he loves the man so much. 

“No take backs, you hear me?”

“Yeah yeah...I hear ya Cook.” 

“Good.”

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Hope you're all staying safe indoors during this period. I've been happily keeping myself indoors like the introvert I am and spending my binge time playing Persona 5 Royal and writing whenever I'm not playing. So yeah, I'm having a great time.  
> It's good to stay positive especially during these sort of times and hopefully, my fics or any other fic writers out there are helping someone out through their writing. 
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on Tumblr if you want, I'm always happy to talk! Stay safe out there!<3


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